


The Other Half

by ChaosandDancingStars



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-06
Updated: 2013-06-11
Packaged: 2017-11-20 10:38:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/584495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaosandDancingStars/pseuds/ChaosandDancingStars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story didn't end after The Guardians won. Jack and Pitch's fates were still being written and interwoven by one connecting factor: Jillian St. Valentine, aka Cupid, Jack Frost's little sister and the Boogeyman's dearest love. Post-movie; PitchxOC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I usually don't do OC stories; I'm always afraid of making them Mary Sues. But after watching ROTG, I had the urge to write something for Pitch. He definitely pulled at my heart-strings and I felt like he needed someone on his side. So I decided to stir up some drama and pull Jack's little sister into all of it. I'm debating on putting in Jillian's backstory every other chapter. So like, one chapter would be "present-day," shortly after the events of ROTG, and the next chapter would be in Jillian's past, shortly after Jack's death. I always appreciate criticism, but only when it is meant to be helpful and let me know what I could do better. I don't flame you, please return the favour. :) –Katheryn xx

Chapter One

'What the hell was that idiot thinking?!' Jillian seethed, pacing back and forth in Pitch's underground lair. She had just gotten back from an assignment in Paris, intent on spending the rest of the evening in her lover's arms.

Instead, she had come home to the news that Pitch was wreaking havoc throughout the world, nearly destroying children's beliefs, and battling the Guardians. The Spirit of First Love was not pleased; no wonder why her seemingly simple assignment of childhood affection had been so difficult. Pitch's head would roll when she got her hands on him.

Jillian had known that Pitch was no angel and wouldn't change his rather wicked ways just because she was his other half. That wasn't what either of them wanted; Pitch loved creating nightmares, fear was his center. And Jillian loved the Boogeyman exactly as he was; she fell in love with him for who he was, wicked personality and all.

But for a plan this elaborate, he had to have been planning this for years, decades even. And Jillian had had no idea. Meaning that Pitch had been keeping secrets. And that, to Jillian, was his biggest crime.

Jillian understood that there had been an imbalance between Pitch and the Guardians for centuries, the Guardians having all of the belief and love of children and Pitch having absolutely none. She couldn't blame him for striking out, even though she didn't approve of the effect his actions had on the children. No, he deserved some recognition by the children; fear was a natural part of life and the Guardians needed to realize that and let Pitch do his job. They needed to find a balance: a time that wasn't the Dark Ages, but also wasn't the Guardians' utopia. So Jillian could forgive him, at least partly for his attack on the children of the world. But she couldn't forgive the fact that he had kept something of this magnitude from her. Especially after they had both sworn to be honest with each other.

A commotion sounded overhead and a large cloud of nightmare dust fell from the ceiling, writhing and twisting. Jillian leaped gracefully out of the way, before noticing a flash of grey skin within the black dust.

"Pitch?"

The cupid rushed over to her lover, batting away the nightmare dust. She hadn't been afraid of Pitch since she was a mortal child; she knew he wouldn't hurt her in any way. The dust dissipated and Jillian saw her Pitch, lying curled up on his side, shuddering slightly.

"Pitch?" Jillian asked again, crouching down next to him, concern in her eyes. "Pitch? Are you alright? Say something. Pitch!"

Her fingers stretched out to stroke his cold cheek, only for them to be grasped tightly in one of Pitch's hands. His golden yellow eyes opened swiftly and Jillian held still. She knew Pitch's fears, the ones he whispered against her skin in the dead of night. If he'd been attacked by the fearlings, there was no telling what his mental state was like right now.

His eyes locked on hers and his finger stroked along her skin.

"Jillian."

Suddenly Jillian was yanked into Pitch's chest, his arms clamping around her waist like vices, clutching her to him desperately. She felt his face bury itself into her hair, inhaling deeply in an obvious effort to calm himself. The shudders did not cease, however, and Jillian brought her hands up to stroke his dark hair.

"Pitch, what's wrong?" she soothed, her other arm wrapping around his waist. "I've never seen you like this before. Sweetheart, what happened out there?"

"The fearlings turned on me," he explained, voice somewhat choked still. "No one else was afraid and so they sniffed out my own and attacked me. Oh, Jillian… the things I saw behind my eyes…"

He abruptly stopped talking and attempted to pull her even closer, the cupid now seated upon his lap, her head still resting against his chest. His shudders seemed to increase ten-fold as he held her there. In response, Jillian's arm tightened around his waist, her hand clutching the fabric of his robe.

"Pitch, whatever it is, I'm here," she said. "Tell me about it, love."

Silence reigned for a few long moments. Jillian relaxed in her lover's arms, hands stroking along his spine. The centuries had taught her many ways to calm the King of Nightmares.

"I was forgotten," he finally said. "No one believed; no one was afraid. I was alone, forgotten and slowly fading from the world. Even Manny refused to shine his light upon me."

Jillian tensed and pulled her head up to look into Pitch's yellow eyes.

"Pitch, that won't happen," she stated. "You cannot fade away while at least one person believes in you. I will always believe in you; ergo, you cannot be forgotten."

"That was the worst part," Pitch said, swallowing thickly. "You were gone."

"Oh Pitch," Jillian sighed. "I'd never leave you; I've spent the last 300 years by your side; I don't think it's very likely that I'll just up and leave."

"Jillian, you don't understand." Pitch's arms tightened around her again. "You didn't leave me; not that way. Jillian, I watched you die. I watched you fade away in my arms and I could do nothing to stop it."

Oh. The cupid's eyes teared up and she hugged Pitch so forcefully that they fell backwards. He let out a low grunt as his back hit the hard ground.

Jillian dropped a kiss on the tip of Pitch's nose before looking him in the eyes again.

"Pitch, that particular nightmare will never come true," she said seriously. "And there is one very good reason why that is. Even if the world stopped believing in me, even if the world turned its back on love, we'd still believe in each other. There is enough love between us to keep us both here, to keep us together. Believe me," she finished with a smile, "I'm a bit of an expert in this arena."

Finally, finally, a small smile crossed Pitch's face. A hand came up from her waist to push back a strand of pale pink hair from her face. His hand cradled her cheek.

"You're right. We've managed three centuries, we'll survive whatever comes at us next."

They met in the middle for a light but passionate kiss. It seemed Jillian would be getting her evening with the man she loved. That is, until they broke apart slightly and Pitch dropped a bombshell.

"Even if what comes at us next is your frosty elder brother and his new little Guardian pals," he murmured quietly.

He leaned in for another kiss, but Jillian pulled back farther. Her eyes were wide with shock.

"What? Jack is alive?"


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 315 years ago, eight year old Jill meets the Nightmare King himself, Pitch Black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Here is chapter two of The Other Half. This chapter focuses on how Jillian and Pitch first met. I’m thinking of keeping this kind of pattern throughout the story: present day, backstory, present day, backstory, you get the picture. Anyway, at this point in the story, Jillian is about eight years old and goes by Jill. In the present day chapters, she has the physical appearance of a fifteen year old and only goes by Jillian. Before anyone freaks out about Pitch with a fifteen year old, keep in mind that she is actually about 330 and that Pitch is even older than that, so age really isn’t much of a big deal for them.  
> This chapter takes place after Jack’s death. I kind of figured Jack’s little sister had had nightmares about his death for a long time. Pitch was probably spending a lot of time with her in the canon verse. Long author’s note is long, lol. ~Katheryn xx

315 years earlier

Jack had fallen under the ice.

Hours later, the men of the village found little Jill, staring at the hole in the ice like she couldn't understand why it was there. Her father knew immediately that Jack was gone and fell to his knees, head in his hands. The girl's uncle was the only brave soul who dared to cross the treacherous ice to retrieve Jill.

The rest of the men returned to their families, clapping the mourning father on his back. The brave uncle passed the still unresponsive eight year old to her papa before hugging him and heading home. The father and daughter trudged home, the father wondering how he was going to break the news to his wife. And still the daughter said nothing.

The father pushed open the door to their small home and Jill's mother jumped up at the sight of her husband and daughter.

"Oh there you are!" she exclaimed in relief. "Oh Jillian, I was so worried about you. And Jack, I thought I told you…."

Her voice trailed into silence as she noticed the absence of her brown haired son.

"Where's Jack?"

The father still held Jill as he revealed the horrible truth.

Jack was dead.

The mother fell to her feet in tears. The father merely crossed the room and drew her into his other arm. The broken family sat there, each member mourning the loss of the fun-loving boy now resting in any icy grave.

JSVJSVJSV

_The water was freezing, her body feeling as if she was being pricked with tiny needles of ice. Jack was right in front of her, so close. She could pull him up this time, she knew she could. But the water felt so heavy on her, she could barely reach out a hand to Jack._

_'Just a bit farther,' she thought, desperately trying to push herself through the icy water. 'Almost there, Jack; I'm almost there.'_

_Centimeters lay between Jill's fingers and those of her beloved brothers'. She stretched out as far as she could._

_Suddenly, Jack's hand seized hers and began to pull. Jill was overcome by the force of it and began being pulled farther and farther away from the surface. Her fear rose up in waves as she felt the sting of her lungs crying out for oxygen. She kicked desperately trying to pull both herself and Jack back up to the hole in the ice, which seemed to be closing up above her._

_She looked down at Jack to ask him to help her, only to see his face contorted into a look of malevolent glee. His other arm came up and grasped onto her captive one, doubling the force with which he was pulling on her, intent on dragging her into the black depths. Bubbles escaped his mouth as he laughed._

_'You're not my brother,' Jill thought, staring at the travesty masquerading as her brother. She altered the angle of her kicks more towards the not-Jack dragging her down. It was a struggle, but finally she managed to kick the not-Jack in the jaw, causing him to release her leg. Then she swam as quickly as she could to the hole in the ice._

Jill woke up with a gasp, shooting straight up in her bed. She could still feel not-Jack's hands gripping her arms and she was coated in sweat, making it seem as if she truly had just burst out of the water. Her breathing was heavy, so heavy, as if she had just run a great distance.

It had been two weeks since Jack's death. The family had had a funeral performed, although there was no body. And every night since that fateful day on the ice, Jill had been plagued with nightmares. Everytime Jill closed her eyes, she was brought back to the frozen lake, to that hole in the ice, which in reality had already closed up a week a bit. It was exhausting.

The eight year old ran her hand over her face, wiping away the remnants of her tears. Her other hand still clutched her rag doll tightly, the knuckles turning white.

Fourteen days. It had been fourteen days since Jack died, fourteen days of misery for Jill. It was so much harder to deal with everything without Jack at her side, joking around and doing everything he could to make her smile. She'd had to deal with everyone's sympathy all week, which was a trial in and of itself. And then she'd had to deal with the nightmares cutting into her sleep. The eight year old girl was growing desperate; she just needed a break, an escape, just for a few hours.

Her parents were no help at all. Her mother had been inconsolable since she had heard the news, spending most of the day in her room. Her father was grieving in his own way, throwing himself into his work and only coming home when it was too dark to work. Jill's friends were keeping their distance, as was the custom of mourning. They wouldn't come around for another month at least, so as not to dishonor the memory of Jack.

But Jill was lonely. Jack had been her closest friend and without him, Jill felt isolated. All the time on her own was driving her mad and she couldn't bear the thought of it continuing for another month.

Jill swung her legs out of bed, not interested in falling back asleep only to wake again in a couple of hours. She pulled her dressing gown around her and sat at the window. The moon was partially blocked out by the clouds tonight.

"You're a very strange child."

Jill turned around quickly, startled at the voice. Heart beating a staccato rhythm in her throat, the eight year old surveyed the room.

For a moment, it seemed that no one was there, but no, wait, there. In the corner of the room, illuminated by a solitary ray of moonlight, stood the figure of a man.

He appeared to be almost cloaked in shadows, his hair nearly blending with the darkened wall behind him. The only discernible colour was the golden hue of his eyes.

"Not many children have been able to do what you just did," he continued in a conversational tone of voice. "Not many adults either. You must be very brave to face the nightmare head on."

"I-I don't know about bravery, s-sir," Jill replied in a shaky voice. "I-I just knew that that… creature in my dream wasn't my brother."

"Either way, you are a rare breed, little Jillian." The man stated calmly, taking a step forward.

Jill backed up as far as she could against the window. This man was intimidating, but she wasn't frightened of him, not truly. Somehow, her child mind knew that he wasn't what he seemed.

"E-excuse me s-sir," she asked. "W-who are you? And why are you in my room?"

The shadow-like man paused in his advance, then swept into a bow.

"Pitch Black, young miss, King of Nightmares," he introduced. "Although you would probably know me by a different title."

He looked straight into her eyes as he whispered the moniker.

"The Boogeyman."


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in the present, Jillian and Pitch discuss Jack Frost and the Guardians.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter three of “The Other Half.” This is back to being in present day, picking up where chapter one left off. So, Jillian is about to find out that Jack Frost is actually her brother Jack who she thought had been dead for 300 years. Also, I’m going to try to make Pitch a little more in character, since I know he seemed a bit OOC in the first one. But I figured he’d be a little shaken up after the fearlings attacked him. Read and Review! –Katheryn xx

Previously:

_“Even if what comes at us next is your frosty elder brother and his new little Guardian pals,” he murmured quietly._

_He leaned in for another kiss, but Jillian pulled back farther. Her eyes were wide with shock._

_“What? Jack is alive?”_

Chapter Three

            Jillian sat up completely, her hands now resting on Pitch’s torso. Her eyes were filled with confusion and a little bit of hurt as she stared at her lover.

            The King of Nightmares himself was staring up at her a bit sheepishly. He hadn’t meant for her to hear that last part.

            “Umm, well…” he started, looking away slightly.

            “Pitch.” Jillian said, her tone sharp. “What exactly are you hiding from me?”

            Pitch closed his eyes and let his head fall back with a sigh. He had really wanted to save this discussion for later. After the day he’d had, all he wanted was to spend the night with his girl. But Jillian was fierce when it came to getting answers. Once she was interested in something, she wasn’t likely to forget about it.

            “Jillian, you know Jack Frost right?”

            “Well, of course, who doesn’t,” Jillian said. “He’s the spirit of winter, always stirring up trouble and only concerned with having fun.” Jack Frost had made Jillian’s life difficult quite a few times as the centuries passed.

            “Well, it would seem that Jack Frost is your brother Jack,” Pitch admitted.

            Jillian slowly got up off of him as she took in this information. Jack Frost, her brother? No, it just wasn’t possible. She would have known, she would have seen him after he’d died. He would have come to see her, wouldn’t he have?

            “How do you know this, Pitch?” she said lowly.

            Pitch got up off the floor and walked over to her, stopping about six inches away. He reached out a hand, as if to touch her shoulder, but pulled it away at the last moment.

            “Through his memories,” he sighed. “I stole all of Toothiana’s tooth stores and his were amongst them. As were yours. At little comparison was all that was needed to prove that he was your brother.”

            Jillian felt as if her whole world had just shifted on its axis. Jack was alive. He was a legendary, like her, like Pitch. But then why did he never come to see her? Why wasn’t he there when she needed him?

            “You mentioned the Guardians,” Jillian finally said. “Why?”

            There was a pause before Pitch responded. He _really_ didn’t want to mention this part, but it would seem he hadn’t much of a choice. Jillian would know if he lied; she wouldn’t be pleased with him, either way.

            “Jack has become a Guardian. The Guardian of ‘Fun,’ it would seem,” Pitch said, only a little bitterly. “He was the key to my downfall.”

            “You fought Jack,” was all that Jillian replied.

            Pitch winced. Before he knew of Jack’s connection to his Jillian, he hadn’t had a problem fighting him. Then he realized and had tried, unsuccessfully, to lure the spirit of winter to his side, for both his and Jillian’s sakes.

            “I didn’t do much damage,” he admitted. “Just broke his staff and left him in Antarctica. He bounced back just fine.”

            “How long have you known?”

            “Not long. I found out when I saw the memories. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have even suspected.”

            Jillian remained quiet for a moment, her hands balled into fists at her side. Pitch sensed her anger, but knew somehow that she wasn’t mad at _him_.

            “Why didn’t he look for me?” Her voice cracked ever so slightly on the word ‘look.’

            Pitch rushed forward at that and wrapped his arms around Jillian. She buried her head in his chest, tears beginning to build in her eyes.

            “He didn’t remember you, love,” Pitch finally said, resting his cheek against the top of her head. “When he turned into Jack Frost, he lost all memory of his life as your brother. He only just got the memories back.”

            “So that’s it, then,” Jillian said. “Jack didn’t remember me and he won’t want to know me now.”

             Pitch grasped her chin lightly and pulled her face up to his. He kissed away the lone tear running down her face.

            “Why wouldn’t he want to know you now, love? You’re his sister; I’m sure if you went to talk to him, he’d love to see you again.”

            “But I’m your other half,” Jillian explained, her eyes boring into his. “He just got done fighting you and most likely thinks you’re a horrible person. He probably wants nothing to do with you, Pitch. And I am tied as closely to you as a Legendary can be.”

            Pitch tensed slightly, but moved a hand up to stroke through her hair.

            “If Jack is half the brother, you’ve told me he is,” Pitch said, “then he will not let your association with me affect his relationship with you.” And with that he dropped a light kiss on her forehead.

            “Now then,” Pitch said, ready for a change of topic. “Are you busy tonight? Because I , for one, would quite enjoy a quiet night with my girl. You could tell me about how things went in Paris.”

            Jillian looked up and kissed him lightly.

            “I’m sure I could afford taking the night off. After all, that was my original plan and the cherubs should be able to handle one night without me.”

            The pair kissed again before just holding each other. Then Jillian smirked mischievously.

            “Besides, I do need to talk to you about Paris. It seems your little attempt at destroying the Guardians had some rather adverse effects on my assignment.”

Pitch gulped dramatically before pulling her into the other room, smiles on both of their faces.

Perhaps this would work out; perhaps she could have both her brother and her lover. Perhaps they could be a family again. For now, Jillian could only hope that things would turn out in the end. 


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jill and Pitch's friendship continues to grow and Jill reveals a new fear to Pitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I can say is that it definitely helps that I write these chapters in advance. This fic is actually moving a lot more smoothly than my “Once Upon A Time” fanfic. Also, I apologize if Pitch seems OOC in this fic; I’m trying to keep him as in character as possible. Also, I’m just going to put this out there so it is clear. At this point in their friendship, Pitch does not have any sort of romantic feelings for Jill. Their relationship only progresses into love after Jill grows up and they only get together after Jillian becomes the Spirit of First Love. I don’t condone pedophilia and it will not be in this story in any way shape or form. If it comes across that way, I apologize. It is a bit difficult to write for an eight year old and an adult Legendary.  
> Anyway, once again we are in Jillian’s past; this chapter takes place a few weeks after eight year old Jill meets Pitch. I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. But I’m getting a feel for how I want this fic to progress, so this should get easier (and possibly longer) as it continues. Read and Review, please! :) –Katheryn xoxo

_6 weeks after Jack’s death_

            “Jill, it’s supper time. Come on now, girl.” Her papa called outside.

            Jill was sitting on the ground, a small book in her hands. It was a reading trainer book Pitch had given to her. He had been appalled to hear that a girl her age had no idea how to read.

            _“Everyone should know how to read,” Pitch said, producing the training book. “You never know when it might come in handy.”_

            Her parents had bought the idea that a sympathetic villager had given it to her. It wasn’t as if the eight year old could simply _tell_ her parents that the Boogeyman had given it to her.

            After that first meeting, Pitch had continued to visit young Jill; it really wasn’t that surprising, seeing as Jill’s nightmares hadn’t quite faded away yet. At first he had tried to be as terrifying as possible; after all, he did have a reputation to uphold. But after about a week of trying and failing to completely frighten the young girl, Pitch and Jill had started talking. The little girl was incredibly lonely, as was the Nightmare King and it was nice to spend the midnight hours together. Pitch told some of the greatest stories and he was always there when she woke up gasping from her latest nightmare.

            Jill had definitely been grateful for his company the last month. Her mother had only just broken out of her mourning stupor about a week ago and her father was finally coming home at a somewhat reasonable hour. But people were still avoiding her in the village; her old friends wouldn’t come by anymore, even though the acceptable period of mourning had just about passed. This upset little Jill slightly, but it wasn’t as if she was completely alone anymore. She had the Boogeyman to spend time with now and he seemed to enjoy her company as much as she enjoyed his.

            “How are you getting along in that book?” Jill’s father asked after they’d said grace. “Surely your friend will want it back soon.”

            “Oh Papa,” Jill said, after swallowing a bit of stew. “He doesn’t mind. He says to take my time because if I try to rush it, I won’t learn anything.”

            “Hmm, well this friend of yours sounds very wise,” her mother said, ending the conversation with a small smile.

JSVJSVJSV

            A washing up after dinner and three more pages later, Jill settled in to her bed, curling up beneath the blankets, her trusty rag doll in hand. Her papa kissed her forehead goodnight before blowing out the lamp and closing the door part way.

            “Papa?”

            He peeked his head back in, a questioning look on his face.

            “Yes, Jill?”

            “Could you close the door all the way? I’m not scared of the dark anymore.”

            Her father’s face grew more bewildered, but he complied with his daughter’s wishes and closed the door gently behind him.

            “Not afraid of the dark? Keep saying things like that and I won’t be able to visit you anymore, little Jill.”

            Pitch’s grey face materialized out of the darkness and crossed the room to her bed with a smile on his face. Jill giggled and sat up fully.

            “Of course you’d still be able to visit, Pitch,” she said with a smile. “I’m still afraid of other things.”

            “Oh really,” he teased. “Now what would a big, brave girl like yourself be afraid of, dear child?”

            Jill went quiet suddenly and looked down at her blanket, fingers fiddling with it.

            “The ice on the pond.”

            Things fell silent for a moment. Then Jill felt herself pulled into a hug. Her eyes teared up ever so slightly, thinking again about that dreadful moment when Jack fell under the ice, never to resurface. The moment when her best friend and brother was taken from her forever.

            “I’m sorry, little Jill,” Pitch’s soothing voice came from over her head. “There are some things no child should have to go through.”

            “You know a lot about children, Pitch,” Jill commented. “I know you work with children a lot, but it almost seems like… I don’t know. Like you had one once yourself.”

            Pitch stilled for a moment, and then relaxed once again. Jill extricated herself from the hug and pulled out the training book.

            “I’ve never had a child,” Pitch said sadly. “Sometimes I feel like I might have, but I can never quite catch the memory before it slips away.”

            And then it was Jill’s turn to be the comfort, to grant the hug to the saddened Nightmare King. He kissed her lightly atop her head, as a father might do a daughter.

            “Now then,” he said, shaking off the emotion and taking the book from her. “Why don’t you light that candle and we’ll see how you’re improving.”


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is time for Jillian to go back out and face the world. She does have a job to do, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So we're back to the present and Jillian and Jack are about to be reunited. Don't let the fluffiness that has been present so far in this story; angst is coming in the form of the reveal of Jillian's lover. But we have two chapters after this one before that, so no worries. :) Also, I apologize for Pitch's OOC-ness again; I figured I'd mention his daughter, though it didn't turn out like I wanted. Read and Review, please! – Katheryn xx

_One Week Later_

As much as Jillian might have liked to, she couldn't stay in bed with Pitch all day this Saturday. She had to get up and face the world; she did have a job to do after all. After leaving a note for Pitch explaining where she was going and that she would be back later that day, she flew off to start her work.

Today's assignments were in Burgess. Two young girls of about the same age were developing their first real crushes.

First stop was a girl named Cupcake. Jillian had to shake her head at the name; what parent named their child after food? That was like naming your child Biscotti, or Gelato or some other such nonsense.

Cupcake was rather adorable, in Jillian's opinion. Her room had lots of pink all over it, which Jillian could appreciate even if she herself wasn't crazy about the colour. Which seemed funny coming from the only spirit with pink hair.

Jillian sat down with the short haired girl and they began to talk.

"Wow, this is a lot of pink," Jillian commented to get the ball rolling. "You must really like this colour."

"Yep, pink is my favourite," Cupcake smiled. "But don't tell the others; they might not think I'm tough if I like pink."

"Pink is a very tough colour!" Jillian exclaimed in mock outrage. "All of the greatest people wear pink. My own hair is pink after all." She giggled.

Cupcake laughed with her. "It is. I think it looks really pretty. I wish I had hair that pretty." She flicked back a lock of black hair.

"Your hair is gorgeous, sweetheart," Jillian complimented, taking Cupcake's hand. "You are beautiful just the way you are."

"But I want to look more grown up," Cupcake stressed. "I want to look more mature, to be seen as mature."

Jillian pulled Cupcake onto her lap, unconsciously mirroring the way Pitch had held her when she was that age. She stroked a delicate hand through Cupcake's black hair.

"The only thing I have to say to that is that you should enjoy your childhood, Cupcake," she began. "Nothing good ever comes of trying to force yourself to grow up too fast. Believe me sweetie; once you grow up, there are times when you wish for the simplicity of childhood again."

"But Carmella said that boys like girls who look grown up," Cupcake stressed. "She said girls who act like babies are doomed to be lonely forever."

Carmella. Of course. Jillian wasn't exactly a fan of Cupcake's older sister. Boy crazy in the extreme, which made Jillian's life difficult. And now it seemed like her supposed "experience" with boys was influencing Cupcake a bit.

"Cupcake, boys like girls who are true to themselves. Trying to be someone you are not is the worst way to try and get a boy's attention. And why are you worrying about boys, sweetie?" Jillian added slyly, ready to figure out who Cupcake's crush really was so she could figure out the best course of action.

"Because I…" Cupcake trailed off with a blush. "Can you keep a secret, Jillian?"

"Of course sweetie."

"Ever since the snowball fight earlier this week, I've been thinking a lot about Jamie." Cupcake said, face turned down toward her jeans, face steadily growing redder.

Jamie Bennett. Jillian should have known. After his spirited defense of the Guardians and his rebellion against Pitch, it was only natural that he would end up gaining quite a few admirers.

Jillian smiled and looked at Cupcake. There was no harm in her little crush. Granted they were too young for her to really do anything, but honestly, she had only been sent to Cupcake to make sure she wasn't crushing on someone much older than her; if that had been the case, Jillian would have had to do whatever she could to break the crush, for Cupcake's sake.

For the next hour, Jillian listened to Cupcake talk about Jamie and used her power only slightly, to make sure Cupcake's crush stayed a crush and didn't stray into an obsession.

Jillian waved goodbye to the now-reassured girl and flew off. One more assignment and then she could return to Pitch and they could discuss more about Jack. Like how exactly to tell him that Jillian was his sister and that she was, for lack of a better term, "married" to Pitch Black.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is Jill's ninth birthday and her best friend Pitch has a present for her. Also, Jill makes a very special birthday wish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hey guys! Here's the sixth chapter of "The Other Half." This is a few months after the events of chapter four. It's Jill's ninth birthday! Pitch acts really fluffy with Jill, but in my personal head canon, I don't think Pitch hates children. I think he is just bitter that he is forever cast as the bad guy. No one takes the time to actually talk to him without condemning him. No one, except Jill that is. I figure these next two chapters should be rather fluffy, because once Jillian reunites with Jack, angst will be abundant. Even in the "past" chapters, Jill and Pitch's friendship is about to hit some rocky waters. So prepare your feels because soon we are getting into the nitty-gritty of things. Read and Review, please! – Katheryn xx

Jill was close to bursting with excitement. Today was her ninth birthday. Her mother and father were working hard to make sure today was perfect for the little girl. Even though there would be a noticeable hole in the happiness; a Jack shaped hole. Her mother still wasn't completely better; she would sometimes just sit in silence at night, fingers stroking Jack's baby blanket. Jill herself still missed her brother, but she was gradually moving on. Pitch was a big help in that effort.

Speaking of the King of Nightmares, after the festivities were over, he was meeting Jill again tonight to bestow upon her a birthday gift of his own. Although Jill's nightmares had faded about three months ago, she and Pitch had still continued their friendship. They spent nearly every night together, talking about their days and providing comfort to each other if necessary.

"Happy Birthday, sweetie," Jill's mother said, kissing her cheek. Her father echoed the sentiment before they all sat down to eat. Her mother had cooked Jill's favourite meal and one of their neighbors had baked the girl a cake, a  _chocolate_  cake, which made it a real treat. Jill's father stood up to light the candle while her mother cleared away the remains of the meal to make more space. It was at that moment when Jill felt a familiar weight upon her shoulder.

"Happy Birthday, little Jill," Pitch's velvet voice came from behind her. Jill took in her parents' positions at the opposite end of the room before turning and hugging her friend tightly.

"You came early!" she exclaimed in a whisper.

"Of course, it is a rather important day after all," the Nightmare King chuckled. "You don't turn nine every day, do you?"

"Nope," Jill giggled before turning back to her parents, who were returning with the newly cleaned dishes and the cake.

"Hmm, chocolate cake," Pitch commented beside her. "Someone must think rather highly of you to bestow that sort of gift."

Jill giggled again and subtly poked his arm. Pitch let out a rather affronted sound in response, causing Jill to giggle even more.

"What are you giggling about over there, Jilly Bean?" her father asked with a smile on his face.

"Oh, nothing, Papa," she said sweetly. "Just thinking about something funny."

"Well, I think it might be time to start thinking about your wish, sweetheart," Jill's mother said with a smile. "Go on and blow out the candle, dear."

Jill thought long and hard. What exactly did she want to wish for? She wanted Jack back, yes, but that was impossible. Pitch placed a hand on her shoulder lightly and she got it.

She inhaled as much air as she could and blew it all out in a whoosh. The flame on the candle went out and her parents applauded. Pitch smiled next to her, clapping lightly as well.

 

JSVJSVJSVJSV

That night Jill bounced excitedly on her bed, waiting for Pitch to reappear. Apparently some other child was due for a quick nightmare and he'd had to rush off.

"Don't worry though, little Jill," he had said before vanishing. "I'll be back soon enough."

So Jill got ready for bed as usual, going through the motions with a certain vigor. Pitch had been teasing her about her birthday for weeks, always hinting at what he had gotten for her but always denying her the major details.

Her father kissed her forehead and said goodnight, closing the door behind him in what had become the new routine.

Jill kicked off the covers and pulled out her matches to light her candle. Her doll was tossed to the wayside as she watched the darkest corner of the room like a hawk.

Suddenly she was lifted up by the waist and twirled around the room. She giggled in delight before hugging Pitch around the neck.

"You're back!"

"Of course I am, silly," Pitch responded. "I promised to spend your birthday with you and it is still your birthday."

The Nightmare King sat upon the little girl's bed and set her down gently next to him. Then he quickly hid both hands behind him.

"Now seeing as it is still your birthday," he said with a perfect poker face. "I believe that there is some strange custom where the birthday girl receives gifts from family and friends. I'm not mistaken, am I? Perhaps it was only Christmas where special little girls get gifts."

Jill giggled again and bounced up onto her knees.

"No, gifts are for birthdays too, Pitch!"

"Ah, see," he chuckled. "I knew a clever girl like you would be able to help me out. Now did you get gifts from all of your family and friends?"

"No," Jill said very seriously, her face twisting into a sort of pout. "I think one friend may have forgotten."

Pitch made an affronted sound and his hand moved to rest above his heart.

"My word, what sort of lousy friend is this, forgetting to get such a darling girl a birthday present?" He smirked and met her gaze.

Jill fought to keep a straight face. He always looked so funny when he smirked like that.

"He's not a lousy friend, not really," Jill said looking up at Pitch. "He's actually really nice once you take the time to talk to him. He's my best friend."

Pitch lost the smirk as a look of wonder came into his gold eyes. His hand reached out to stroke the girl's hair as a genuine smile crossed his face.

"I think that you are his best friend too, little Jill. His only friend, actually."

Jill jumped up to hug her best friend tightly. In her mind, Pitch deserved more friends. He was so nice, at least to her. She was glad she'd met such a great friend.

"Now," Pitch said, withdrawing from the girl's hug, his hands still behind his back. "I believe that this friend of yours did actually have a present for you. Oh, I'm sure it is around here somewhere." He mimed turning around and searching frantically for something before popping back up. "Aha, here's the little devil. Knew I had it with me."

Jill laughed as Pitch turned back around with a small box in his hands.

"You'll have to forgive me if it isn't to your taste," Pitch said apologetically. "I've never been too great with understanding what little girls like. But for some reason, I knew you would love this."

Jill took the box and opened it. Inside was a locket, made of some sort of dark material. It was beautifully crafted, ornate and elegant without being gaudy. The chain felt as if it had been made of the most delicate of metals.

"Pitch, it is beautiful," Jill exclaimed, taking the locket out of the box and turning around. "Could you put it on me? It is so pretty. You made this?"

Pitch took the locket from her and opened the clasp. Then he refastened it around her neck before responding.

"Yes, I made it. It took some time, but I finally managed to crystallize the nightmare sand to just the right amount of durability. Only you will ever be able to open it."

"How did you manage to make it do that?" Jill said, turning back around her eyes wide with happiness and awe at what her friend did for her.

"Do you remember the nightmare you had last week? About being trapped in the forest and Jack trying to pull you under the water?" Jill nodded; that nightmare had been particularly vicious. Pitch had had to stay with her almost all night before she went back to sleep. "I kept some of the nightmare sand after you had woken up. That sand was the key ingredient to making this locket. The personal touch of your fear acts as a safeguard; whatever you put in that locket is for your eyes only. The locket won't open for anyone else."

Jill hugged Pitch again, her smile so wide it almost seemed like her face would split in two. Pitch chuckled and whispered "Happy Birthday, Jill."

"How did you think of the locket?" Jill asked, sitting back down. "It is so perfect and beautiful; it must have taken you a long time to think of it."

"Actually, it just came to me. It was as if I had seen something like it before, but I can't quite recall where. The second it appeared in my mind, though, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Making it for you seemed to help though. I'm glad you like it, dearest Jill."

"It's the best present ever!"

 

JSVJSVJSV

A few hours later saw Jill fighting sleep with everything she had. It had been the best birthday ever, even if Jack hadn't been there to share it with her. Jill had just gotten done telling Pitch about the chocolate cake and how her father had picked her up and danced around the room with her while her mother clapped and smiled in the background.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Jill said suddenly, jolting up slightly before falling back against her pillow. Pitch was sitting on the edge of her bed, watching her knowingly. She was about to fall asleep at any moment. "Do you want to know what I wished for?"

Pitch's smile faded for a moment before leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "Oh Jill, don't you know that you're not supposed to tell what you wished for? Then they won't come true."

"R-really," Jill yawned. Her eyes felt so heavy and she blinked an awful lot. "O-okay then. I won't tell; I really want this one to come true."

"Well, I hope it does, Jill," Pitch replied, tucking the little girl in as she drifted off. "A princess like you deserves to have all of her wishes come true."

"Mm, 'night Pitch."

"Goodnight, Jill."

As Jill snuggled into her pillow, she thought of her wish once more. If she could have one wish come true, she wanted it to be this one.

"I wish that Pitch and I will stay together forever."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Closing author note: Jill's wish is not meant in a romantic sense. At this point, she means she wants to remain friends with Pitch forever. Jill's wish comes true though, in a more powerful way than she can imagine. :)


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jillian finds out that her job in Burgess may be more difficult than originally thought before running into a familiar face from her past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are ladies and gentlemen. It is just about time for the big sibling reunion between Jillian and Jack. Also, just a side note about last chapter: the locket Pitch gave Jill is not the same locket with his daughter’s picture in it. I was pretty sure I was clear on that, but Jill’s locket is just based off of Pitch’s locket with his daughter. By the way, I think I finally figured out the ending, so this story has an actual plot now. :) Read and Review! –Katheryn xoxo

Chapter Seven

Jillian took her time crossing the few blocks separating Cupcake’s home from her next assignment. This young girl was named Pippa. She was also coming into her maturity with a small crush. Hopefully, the object of her affections was like Cupcake’s on Jamie; she didn’t like using her gift to break affection towards another. But if a child was crushing on someone older than them, Jillian had to lessen the connection between the two of them.

            Pippa was a rather intelligent child, with long brown hair. She reminded Jillian of herself back when she had been a child. They were currently sitting up in Pippa’s green bedroom, the two girls seated on Pippa’s daybed.

            “So how are you today, Pippa? Did you sleep alright?” Jillian started the conversation, smiling sweetly at the girl. She knew there had been no nightmares; after all, she had been keeping Pitch occupied all night.

            “Yes, ma’am,” Pippa said with a smile. “I had nothing but good dreams. Can you thank Sandy for me?”

            “Of course I can sweetie,” Jillian replied. “So anything new going on? I admit, I’m rather new to this part of the world.” Ok so that wasn’t technically true, but she hadn’t been in the actual town part of Burgess in quite a while.

            “umm, not much,” Pippa hedged. “Ever since the Guardians defeated Pitch, things have calmed down. It is almost like things have gone back to normal, but…”

            “But what, Pippa?” And here it comes.

            “Things have changed somehow.” Pippa’s head ducked down slightly, her cheeks colouring much like Cupcake’s did.

            Jillian took Pippa’s hand and used her other to gently pull the girl’s face up.

            “What do you mean, things have changed?”

            “I don’t know, it’s just…” she paused. “What he did that day was really brave and I just, I just really admire him for it.”

            I really admire him. Jillian understood the meaning behind those words. Pippa did indeed have a crush on this boy; she just didn’t realize that her ‘admiration’ was slowly becoming much more than that.

            “Who is he, Pippa? This brave boy you admire?” Jillian asked, looking interested but not like she had been trying to lure the young girl to the topic.

            “Jamie Bennett.”

JSVJSVJSVJSV

            Crap. This is bad. Those two thoughts were all that circulated in Jillian’s head as she walked through the forest in Burgess. Both of her assignments had developing crushes on young Jamie Bennett. In some ways, this was much worse than one of them crushing on an older child or teenager. Because now, instead of letting the girls’ affections run their course, she would have to try to figure out which girl Jamie liked better and, in the end, one of the little girls would be left unhappy.

            Jillian had always hated this part of her job. Sometimes childhood affections weren’t always for the best and that was when she needed to intervene, instead of nurture. And breaking bonds, even if the ones that are just the smallest things, is never a good experience. Both for Jillian and the one getting the bond broken.

The affection of a child is generally a fickle thing. But at the same time, a child’s love can endure the length and breadth of time itself. It is rarely very serious, but it can be one of the strongest types of love in the world.  Sibling bonds, affection for parent, even childhood sweethearts. All were proof that a child’s love was a strong and valuable thing. And it always broke Jillian’s heart when she had to sever that love, that connection.

Jillian understood why the two girls had both “picked” Jamie as the object of their shared affections. Jamie had indeed been very brave when facing down Pitch. He had shown himself to be a mature young man that day and, well, girls do start thinking about boys in a romantic sense long before boys themselves reach that point.

‘ _But the fact remains that one of these girls is going to get her heart broken,’_ Jillian thought to herself. Jillian may have been thinking a few years ahead, but perhaps that was for the best. After all, given a few years to grow and expand, a crush could turn into serious love by the time the trio were teenagers. And that is when things would go bad; especially if both Cupcake and Pippa decided they still wanted Jamie.

So lost in her thoughts was Jillian, that she didn’t notice where her feet were leading her until they hit the edge of a surface that was rather harder than the forest floor. Jillian’s breath caught and her very slowly beating heart seemed to stutter for a moment.

It was the lake. The one from her childhood. The one that Jack died in.

Jillian jumped back slightly from the offending body of water. She hadn’t been near the lake since Jack died, not even when…. Jillian shook that particular memory out of her head. She’d rather not think about that night ever again. Jillian pushed back a few wayward strands of her hair and lifted the hem of her gown before turning around.

Only to see a large and curved wooden staff staring her in the face.

A young boy of about eighteen years stood before her. He had spiky white hair and ice blue eyes that seemed to pierce through her own. He wore a blue hoodie, with frost covering the shoulders and hood and a pair of brown pants that resembled skinny jeans. His eyes widened as he seemed to take in her appearance as well. Both parties knew each other; they knew each other extremely well, even after 315 years apart.

“Jack.” Jillian breathed, unable to believe it.

“Jill.”


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long for me to post this on here. I got distracted with updating on ff.net. But hey, at least it means I'll be able to update really quickly on here for a while since I have a majority of the story written. :)

Chapter Eight

Tears blurred Jill's vision as she ran through the woods. She tried to bat away the tree limbs, but some of the branches still managed to hit her in the face. Jill didn't feel the pain, not really, as she continued blindly through the woods.

It couldn't be true. Not so soon after Jack's death. Jill didn't believe it, would not believe it. Somewhere inside, she knew she was in denial, but she'd deal with that later. Right now, she just needed her best friend. She needed to find Pitch.

Jill had never asked Pitch where he lived during the day when there was too much light for him to be out and about. She figured that he lived somewhere in the woods, though; the forest was always plenty dark, no matter how brightly the sun was shining.

Unfortunately, Jill forgot that Pitch wasn't the only entity to be afraid of in these woods. A wolf's howl met Jill's ears, causing a chill to go down her spine. It sounded close, too close for Jill to be comfortable. She slowed down, listening with all of her might.

The howl sounded again, this time a lot closer and with more howls following it. It was a pack, out on the hunt. And the prey was Jill.

Jill began running again, as fast as her legs could go. She didn't even look to see where she was going, fear flooding her entire being. Oh she knew better! She knew that the wolves would be out, especially at this time of year. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Jill's foot caught suddenly and she fell to the dirt. Gasping, she pushed herself up, or tried to at least. Her foot was stuck in a small hole in the ground, probably a groundhog den or a rabbit warren. Jill whimpered slightly, wiggling her ankle around to try and dislodge it from the hole.

The wolves were fast approaching; she could hear the twigs snap under their heavy paws. Jill tugged and tugged with all her might, desperate to get out. All that accomplished was making her ankle sear with pain and Jill bit back tears.

A warm breath hit her neck and Jill turned around to see a pair of bright yellow eyes staring at her. More breaths reached her from where she sat, stuck, stranded. The wolves had found her.

Jill clenched her hand around her locket as the lead wolf growled. He seemed to lean back as if to pounce upon the ten year old. Jill closed her eyes and screamed.

"PITCH!"

A mass of black and gray shadows filled the small forested area and a chilling growl, one more menacing than that of the lead wolf's, was let loose. The pack of wolves whimpered before scampering off, clearly not wishing to deal with this newest predator.

A hand fell upon Jill's shoulder, causing the young girl to open her eyes again. Standing before her was Pitch, and he didn't look happy. His gold eyes were clouded with anger and… was that a hint of worry? The boogeyman helped Jill to her feet and sat down on a nearby boulder, his eyes still slightly glaring at the girl.

"Thank you, Pitch," Jill said in a small voice. Her head was down; she had angered him. She didn't know how exactly he would react.

"What were you thinking?"

Jill looked up at his harsh tone. Pitch's hands were clenched upon the boulder and they appeared to be almost shaking.

"Do you understand what would have happened if I had been unable to reach you in time?" he continued. "Jill, I  _know_  that you know better than to go off into the woods alone at this time of year, at this time of  _night_  for pity's sake. Jill, those wolves would have torn you apart, regardless of the fact that you are a child. You would have  _died_ , Jill, do you understand?" By this point he had reached Jill and his hands were resting upon her shoulders. He had crouched down to reach her level and he was staring straight into her eyes.

A tear fell down Jill's face and she sniffled slightly. Pitch recoiled slightly before reaching out to wipe away the tear.

"I-I was lo-looking for you," Jill admitted in a shaky voice. "I-I was up-upset; I-I just wanted to talk to you!" she wailed, full out crying at this point.

"Jill, Jill," Pitch said, pulling her into his lap. "Don't cry, sweetie. I didn't mean to yell, but I was worried. You have to understand that. Please stop crying, sweetie."

"I-I'm not crying be-because you yelled," Jill corrected, still crying. "P-Pitch, m-my mom is sick. The- the doctors… they kee-keep saying…." She threw her arms around the Nightmare King and sobbed harder, burying her face into his robe.

"Pitch, they are saying that my mom is going to d-die."

Pitch tensed slightly before wrapping his arms tighter around the distraught girl. He hummed a lullaby into her ear as the moon shone down upon the two.

 


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Jillian are finally reunited after over 300 years. But there is still one thing Jillian hesitates to reveal to Jack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has been so long. I've been posting primarily on ff.net and kinda forgot that I had started this on here. lol. But I will be catching this story up over the next couple weeks. So here we go, the continuation of the Jack/Jillian reunion; and the reveal of Jillian's relationship with Pitch. Here is when we really start descending into some rather angsty territory. On another note, though, I am currently thinking of expanding this story into a series. I am currently planning a prequel (about Jillian and Pitch before the events of this story, but after Jillian becomes a Legendary), a one-off, and a sequel. But I'd like your opinions on if you would like to see any of those, so I've set up a poll on my profile. The one-off is definitely going to happen, mostly because it will explain the epilogue of this story. But that won't be for a while yet. :) Sorry for the long author's note. Read and Review! – Kay xoxo

Jack drew his staff away from his sister's face as a large smile crossed his own. She was alive; his baby sister was alive.

She looked different. Granted the last time he'd seen her was just before he'd drowned all those three hundred years ago. Obviously she had grown up, but her physical appearance had changed drastically. Her once lanky hair had curled slightly and now shone in the natural light, and looked incredibly clean, like Jack's did now. The former chestnut hue of her locks had transformed into a pale pink shade. Her brown eyes, once a perfect match to his own, had also changed; now they were a deep purple. But Jack could still see his beloved baby sister, even with all of the changes.

Jillian herself had seen Jack many times over the years, but now she could see where Jack Frost differed from Jackson Overland. With white hair and blue eyes, Jack did indeed resemble the winter season, all white Christmas and frostbite. But the fun loving boy from her childhood still looked back at her from his eyes.

"Jill you're alive!" Jack exclaimed, jumping slightly in glee.

"In a way," Jillian smiled fondly. "I'm a spirit of Childhood, like you. And I go by 'Jillian' now."

JSVJSVJSV

Jack and Jillian sat together for hours, talking about everything that had gone on in their respective pasts. Well, almost everything. There was one subject that had been noticeably skipped over in the siblings' conversation. Pitch.

Jillian knew that she would have to tell Jack about her relationship with the Nightmare King; it was just… she didn't know. She had just gotten her elder brother back, and she knew that Jack wouldn't react well to hearing how close she was to Pitch. Especially after the whole debacle with the Guardians. But she didn't like keeping secrets from Jack so early into their renewed relationship. She just had to swallow her nerves and get it over with.

"Jack," the pink-haired girl started. "There's something more about my past that you should probably know."

"Hold that thought, Jill," Jack said, nearly cutting her off. Jillian followed his gaze to the sky. The northern lights were up and shining brilliantly through the slowly darkening sky; the Guardians had called a meeting.

Jillian stood up and brushed the dirt from her dress. Jack needed to go; it was probably for the best. Her news could wait a bit longer; at least, it could wait until she got an opportunity to talk to Pitch about how best to broach the subject of their relationship to Jack. She _really_ wanted Pitch to be by her side when they revealed the truth.

"I'll see you around then, Jack," she said, before starting back out of the forest.

A hand caught hers and she felt a wave of air hit her. Jillian's feet left the ground and she looked up in a panic.

"Where are you going, Jill?" Jack was pulling her into the air, with the help of his old friend Wind, of course. He pulled her up to his level with a grin and the wind directed the pair in the direction of the North Pole. "You can come with; I'm sure North and the others won't mind."

_'Oh yes they would,'_ Jillian thought. The other Guardians knew about her and Pitch; they'd known for quite a long time. Needless to say, they weren't Jillian's biggest fans. Aside from Sandy.

"Jack," Jillian said, trying to get his attention. "I can't go to the North Pole all of the sudden like this. I- well, I- I have someone waiting for me back at my home." That someone being Pitch. She had hoped to be back a lot earlier today; after he was turned on by the fearlings, Jillian had no wish to leave her lover alone with the Nightmares for too long.

"Come on, Jill," Jack goaded, Wind increasing its speed as they approached the Pole. "It'll be alright. You'll see. And besides, maybe next time you can bring this 'someone' along with us."

Jillian sighed. She wanted to believe Jack, but he wouldn't feel the same way once he knew who Jillian's "someone" was. Once he knew, Jack wouldn't make the same offer again. And Jack would know the truth soon enough.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little Jill must face another death, but this time she doesn't have to go it alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter again skips a bit in Jill's past, but I felt like this was necessary to get out of the way quickly as it will hold some weight on the plot. Also, Sandy is going to play a bit of an important role in the lives of Pitch and Jillian; at this point in the story, Pitch and Sandy are coexisting and get along at times, but they are still considered rivals. But as they are rather similar when it comes to what they do for (or to) the children, I figured they had to have had some sort of interaction, even if it was just Sandy showing up after a child's nightmare.
> 
> Last note here, I compare Pitch's behavior around Jill to that of the Guardians a few times in this chapter. I'm not saying that Pitch is a Guardian, but he does protect Jill in his own way. Also, this may be a good time to brush up on the concept of foreshadowing. *wink* Lol. - Kay xoxo

It was raining. Somehow the cloud free skies had transformed into a dark and dreary blanket that seemingly covered all of Burgess village. There was a chill in the air and it seemed as though the very Earth itself was mourning the latest loss in the small village.

Jill sat at her window, clothed in a black gown and her chestnut hair pulled back from her face in a small bun. She fiddled with her fingers as she stared out into the drizzle, not truly seeing anything outside of her window.

It happened. It had actually happened. Jill simply couldn't believe it,  _refused_ to believe it. But today, today she could not ignore the truth. Her mother was dead. Just like Jack.

It was nearly time for the funeral. Jill's father sat in the other room with friends and family who had gathered at the house to give their condolences. Jill had stayed there for only about ten minutes before she retreated to her room, unable to handle everyone's grief and worries about what kind of young woman Jill would become without a mother to teach her how to be "a proper lady." They were already discussing her marriage prospects, even as her father pronounced that she was far too young to be eligible for marriage.

Jill felt a comforting presence at her back just before Pitch's arm wrapped around her. The ten year old relaxed slightly and closed her eyes, just taking in the security and calm Pitch provided.

The Nightmare King didn't say a word; he knew that no words would be able to take away Jill's pain. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her as she turned to hug him, comforting this child who understood him better than anyone else ever had. She had been there for him all these past two years and now it was his turn to return the favour. He owed her that much, as a thanks for believing in him and for talking to him like he was a person, not some monster who didn't deserve any sort of sympathy.

"Sandy sends his condolences, little one," Pitch finally spoke, remembering the message the Sandman had tracked him down to give the grieving girl. "He apologizes for being unable to be here for you but says that he'll come by and visit as soon as he can."

"That's nice of him," Jill responded, her face still buried in Pitch's robe. Her voice sounded so much more fragile than Pitch wanted to hear. Even at ten years old, Jill was one of the strongest people Pitch had ever met. "If you see him before I do, can you tell him I said 'thanks?'"

"Of course, sweetheart."

The two of them stood there in silence as Jill turned to once again face the window. She reached out a still slightly childlike hand and took hold of Pitch's. He squeezed slightly as Jill's father came in to fetch her. It was time.

The pair of friends exited the small bedroom and then the house as the procession of grieving relations headed toward the village cemetery. Jill and Pitch brought up the rear, the young girl still clutching the Nightmare King's hand.

Pitch stayed with Jill throughout the ceremony, a stalwart pillar of strength for the distraught girl. In a way, he was behaving like a Guardian; as much as he hated the comparison, he couldn't deny the fact that he would protect little Jill with his life. She was one of the very few who believed in him anymore, and he needed her as much as she needed him.

He dreaded the day when Jill would grow up, when she would stop believing in all of the "fairy stories" of her youth. She was ten years old; he's had two years with her and he was already running out of time with her, with his brave little princess, the only person he truly considered his friend. Sure, he and the Sandman had a somewhat friendly relationship at times, but Jill had been there unwaveringly since that fateful night just two weeks after her brother's death. Truly he didn't understand why she hadn't been frightened of him, why she had bothered trying to be friends with him, even now. She knew what he was, what he did to all of the other children who, somewhere inside, still feared the Boogeyman and his faithful nightmares. He had made it very clear that he wouldn't stop scaring the children just because he happened to be friends with one. Sandy had rolled his eyes, but then shrugged as if to say "Whatever."

Pitch looked down at Jill, a concern look on his face as she squeezed his hand once more. Her slowly taming chestnut hair was plastered to her face due to the unyielding drizzle of the rain. It still wasn't enough to hide the tears streaking down her face. She sniffled suddenly, a bit too forcefully to be just from the crying. Pitch frowned; she was going to catch a cold if the rain didn't let up.

That was another thing. These sudden bouts of almost parental concern. It was strange; Pitch did not recall ever having a child of his own and yet…. And yet his infrequent moments of concern felt natural to him, as if somewhere, at some time, he had needed to feel such fatherly concern. But Jill didn't feel like a daughter to him; just a rather young friend who at times seemed wise beyond her years. Perhaps it was just due to his almost Guardian-like state when it came to the ten year old, but he had never seen Sandy and his thrice-accursed  _comrades_  act in such a way. But then again, Pitch didn't think Man in Moon's precious Guardians actually took much time out of their days to interact with the children they swore to protect.

Finally it was time for Jill to say her last farewells to the most important woman in her life. She tightened her grasp on Pitch's hand, looking up at him subtly, eyes pleading with him to not make her go up there alone. Pitch nodded solemnly and they made their way over to the simple wooden coffin.

The rain had slowed some as Jill stared at her mother's final resting place and the coffin that would be her eternal bed. Her unoccupied hand placed a zinnia entwined with a cyclamen upon the coffin. Her hand rested on the wood as her tears increased in their intensity. Her brother was gone and now so was her mother. Jill just didn't understand why.

"Goodbye mother," she whispered softly. "I hope you find Jack. May the two of you find peace." And if there had been any believers at that funeral, they would have seen two Michaelmas Daisies appear, one made of black sand, the other of golden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I emphasized the flowers for their particular meanings. Here is a guide as to what each flower means:
> 
> Zinnia: I mourn your absence
> 
> Cylamen: Goodbye
> 
> Michaelmas Daisy: Farewell


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment of truth. How will Jack handle his sister's relationship with his biggest enemy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly getting back on track guys. :) So we’ve reached the moment of truth: How will Jack find out about Pitch and Jillian and how will he take the news? Let’s find out shall we? Reviews make me happy and inspire me to write more! Especially now that we are descending into the nitty-gritty of this story. - Kay

     

            Jillian shivered as she and Jack approached North’s workshop. It was freezing, which was understandable considering how far north they were. But Jillian had never liked cold weather; she only been up here for maybe a minute and she was already wishing for warmth. But Jack seemed to thrive in it, which made sense. He was the Spirit of Winter, after all.

            Wind set the two down gently on the balcony of North’s study. Jack pushed open the glass doors and entered the room, Jillian trailing behind him. North’s study was cozy and she could only imagine how amazing the rest of the workshop was; she wished she was here under better circumstances. Once the Guardians saw her, things wouldn’t be very cheerful.

            Jillian stopped in the doorway, watching as Jack was welcomed by the Guardians. North clapped him on the back with a laugh and Toothiana hugged the frost-haired boy tightly, trying to get a look at his pearly whites all the while. Bunnymund and Jack shared some sort of “bro-greeting” and Sandy waved.

            The golden being’s eyes fell on Jillian and his eyes widened. Jillian held a finger up to her lips; no one knew that she and the Sandman had been friends for almost as long as Pitch had been in Jillian’s life. It was better that way; Sandy was a Guardian and Jillian was the Boogeyman’s lover. It was something they all knew the others wouldn’t understand.

            “Hey guys,” Jack said suddenly. “You’ll never guess who I found today.”

            Jillian tensed as Jack walked over to where she was still standing in the doorway. He held out his hand saying “Come on, Jill. Come meet my friends.”

            All eyes fell on her as the Cupid walked into the room, head held high, no fear or anxiety showing on her face. Pitch would have been proud, had he been there with her.

            Bunnymund’s paw moved to his trusty boomerang as he growled “What the devil is _she_ doing here, mate?”

            “Oh Jack,” Tooth sighed, shaking her head. “You shouldn’t have brought her here. Don’t you know who she is?”

            “Yeah, I do,” Jack exclaimed, hand tightening around Jillian’s, ready to defend her. “She’s my baby sister.”

            “WHAT?!” North, Tooth, and Bunny shouted, different levels of disbelief on their faces.

            Another smaller hand gripped Jillian’s and she looked down to see Sandy, holding her hand and smiling reassuringly. She smiled back and squeezed slightly, thanking him for the support. Then she turned to face the other three Guardians.

            “Jill is my sister,” Jack reiterated, frustration on his face. “She’s the one I died saving, the reason Manny chose me.”

            “Well, she’s certainly repaid the debt nicely,” Bunnymund scoffed. “Really appreciated what your brother did for ya, didn’t you, Jillian St. Valentine? Or is it Jillian Black now?”

            “Jillian Black?” Jack asked. “What are you talking about?”

            Jillian’s lips tightened and her eyes teared up slightly. This was the last way she wanted Jack to find out.

            “We’re talking about her…ehm… significant other, Jack,” Tooth said, a bit uncomfortably.

            “Significant other?”

            It was time. She had to say something before this went any further.

            “Jack,” she started slowly. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. Jack, I-.”

            “Your sister is in love with the bloody Boogeyman, mate.” Bunnymund cut her off, throwing his paws in the air. “She’s Pitch’s girl.”

            Jillian looked at Jack, her inner anxiety finally showing on her face. Damn that rabbit; why couldn’t he just leave well enough alone and let her tell Jack? She knew she should have said something before they got here.

            Jack stood there as if frozen, no pun intended. Bunny’s words echoed in his mind, over and over again. _Pitch’s girl. Pitch’s girl. Pitch’s girl._ No. There was no way. It was impossible.

            “Come on, Kangaroo, that’s just crazy. There has to be some kind of mistake. Jill wouldn’t get involved with a psycho like Pitch. My sister is smarter than that.”

            “Ask her yourself, mate.” Bunny said in a sober tone.

            Jillian flinched as Jack turned toward her, his eyes begging her to deny it. But she couldn’t; she didn’t want to, either. She wasn’t ashamed of her feelings for Pitch; he had been there for her for the past three centuries. He had never forsaken her, so she would not denounce him. Not even for Jack.

            “Jack, I-I tried to tell you before,” Jillian started. “When I told you that I had someone waiting for me…. Jack, that someone is Pitch. Jack, it is all true, everything Bunnymund just said. I love Pitch, he loves me. We are together; we have been for a long time actually. I am Pitch’s girl and I’m not ashamed of that.”

            Jack moved away from Jillian as quickly as he could. His eyes were wide and slowly filling with anger. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as he stared at her. Her face was filled with remorse, not for loving Pitch, but because Jack had found out about them in this way, because Jack was hurt by this.

            “Jill,” he let out through gritted teeth. “What do you mean, you love him? He’s a monster, Jill; he doesn’t deserve love.”

            Jillian gasped before anger appeared in her eyes. Jack was upset, she knew that, but that did not give him the right to judge who did and did not deserve love.

            “Everyone deserves love, Jack,” she proclaimed. “Even Pitch. _Especially_ Pitch. You have no idea what he’s been through, brother. What we’ve been through _together_. Jack, you have to understand-.”

            “I don’t understand, Jill!” the Guardian of Fun shouted. “I don’t understand how you can love a monster like him, how you can stay with him. I don’t understand why you even _chose_ Pitch. Why is he so special? Why can’t you just find someone else, someone better?”

            “Because he’s my Other Half,” Jillian finally admitted.

            The Guardians gasped. Toothiana’s hands came up to cover her mouth and Bunnymund looked like he’d just been told that he truly was a kangaroo. North’s hand came up to clasp a ring hanging on a chain from his neck. Jillian’s eyes focused on the motion; so he hadn’t forgotten. Good, perhaps North would help her out; after all, he understood better than almost anyone else exactly what the Other Half bond meant.

            “What does that even mean?” Jack asked, frustration still showing on his face.

            “Jack, the Other Half bond is one of the strongest bonds that can exist between two legendary Spirits,” Tooth explained. “It only happens once in a Spirit’s life, or so I’ve heard. North would know more about it than I would.” She added, looking over at North.

            North hesitated for a moment before nodding.

            “Is very special kind of bond, Jack. Very powerful. If what Jillian says is true, then there is truly nothing we can do. If it is true, Pitch and Jillian cannot be broken apart.”

            “Well, how do you know there is this magical bond between you and Pitch, Jill?” Jack asked in exasperation. “How do you know that he isn’t just using you?”

            Anger filled Jillian’s face. She could understand why Jack was angry, but now he had gone too far. Pitch would never do that to Jillian; he hadn’t even tried in 315 years, he wouldn’t start now.

            “How do I know?” Jillian said quietly. “How do I know? I’m a Cupid, Jack, a Spirit of Love. I’m pretty sure I can recognize an ‘Other Half’ bond. Especially when it involves someone I deeply care for.”

            “Care for? Jill, don’t you know what he’s done? To my friends, to Sandy. To the children. Jill if you can forgive him, then I don’t know if I can be around you anymore. Please Jill; just let him go.” Jack begged.

            Jillian blinked back her tears and removed her hand from Sandy’s. She began to leave before stopping in the doorway.

            “I do know what he’s done, Jack. I don’t agree with it, but I also know everything Pitch has suffered through since the end of the Dark Ages. So yes, I do forgive him, because he needs someone on his side. And even if you hate me Jack, I won’t leave him. No matter what happens, come what may, I’ll be by his side through it all.”

            And with one last glance at her newly found and now lost again brother, Jillian left the North Pole, tears in her eyes but no second-thoughts about her final words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Jack may seem like a petulant child, but he did just find out his baby sister is in a relationship with Pitch Black, whom he only sees as a villain. Not to mention, he was fairly young when he died. So I figured his emotions are still somewhat volatile, especially after some of his actions in the film. Also, I will go more in depth about North’s ring and how he knows about the Other Half bond (did you notice my clever use of the title lol?). Some backstories are going to be changed slightly, but I’m trying to stay as true to canon as possible. Reviews are forever appreciated. :) -K


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Halloween for Jill, Pitch and Sandy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost broke the pattern. I really wanted to post the chapter where Jillian, Pitch, and Jack all meet, but this chapter is back to the past again. Sorry guys. This chapter goes into Pitch's point of view a little bit, much like chapter ten did, so hope I got him mostly IC.
> 
> I would also just like to take this moment to thank all of you for your feedback. Seriously these are like the best reviews I have ever gotten. I appreciate every single review and I am grateful for every moment that you take out of your days to send me your thoughts. :) So, there was a little confusion about the whole "Sandy and Pitch being 'friends'" thing. Sandy and Pitch aren't exactly friends; it is more like they tolerate each other's presence in Jillian's life. Sandy knows what Pitch means to Jillian and Pitch understands that Sandy is one of her best friends and that he is just as important as Pitch is. As for why Pitch "killed" Sandy, that will be addressed in a couple of chapters. Let's just say "fallaces sunt rerum species." *wink* - Kay xoxo

Chapter Twelve

Pitch arrived at Jill's home a bit later than usual. He'd been working though, so it there wasn't much he could've done about it. Even if the children couldn't see him (apart from his little Jill, of course), he was still fairly busy at this point in time, especially during this night, the night of Samhain, or as it was beginning to be called now "All Hallow's Eve." So the children's fears were ripe in the air, providing him the opportunity to give them whatever nightmares he could. After all, this was, in a way, a night for him to do his job properly without Sandy interfering too much.

On his way to Jill's, however, he had run into the true Spirit of Samhain. Sam didn't give him any trouble, though, since technically Pitch's nightmares kept Sam's holiday alive. Pitch shuddered slightly as he thought about the creepy little kid with the broken lollipop. Pitch enjoyed fear, no doubt about that, he was the King of Nightmares after all, but even he had to admit that Sam took his "holiday" a bit too far sometimes. Causing fear was one thing; irreparable trauma or even causing harm was another. Pitch had a feeling Man in Moon would end up taking extreme measures against Sam soon enough.

In a way, he already had. There had been rumours over the years of a new spirit possibly taking over Sam's holiday. Jakola Tern seemed to be much like Sam, but was intent on making All Hallow's Eve into something a bit more enjoyable for the children. Tricks and Treats were being given out and the children were starting to dress up in fun ways on the night of October 31st. Sam hated Jakola, but personally, Pitch preferred her over the slightly malicious child spirit.

Pitch crept through the shadows, sliding under the door of Jill's home before slinking his way over to her room. Her father was fast asleep and it seemed like Sandy had taken pity on the poor man. His dreams were simple, images of his family whole and hale once more, but it seemed like that was all the man really wanted anymore. Pitch left him alone; the man had enough stress in life and deserved a good dream every now and again.

The moment Pitch entered Jill's room, he could tell that something was wrong. Sandy was still there for one; usually the little golden man would be up in the sky, the best vantage point for sending pleasant dreams to the many children under his protection. Pitch's other indication was the fact that Jill was crying, not sobbing, but a slow river of tears was coursing down her cheeks.

Pitch's fist clenched at the sight. A boy from the village had been giving the brown-haired girl some trouble lately; if he had done anything to hurt Jill, he would suffer the worst nightmares imaginable.

"Jill, what happened?" Pitch asked lowly, moving over to her side. He nodded at Sandy, who was seated on her other side, a small hand resting lightly on one of Jill's. Pitch and Sandy's relationship was far from what it used to be, but Jill mended that gap just the tiniest bit. Both of them cared deeply for the brave little girl sitting between them and both would do whatever they could to keep her safe.

Jill moved her hand from Sandy's for a moment to wrap her arms around her dearest friend.

Golden dream sand began to form images above Sandy's head as he communicated with Pitch. Two forms identifying themselves as Pitch and Jill formed, and then it transformed into a picture of Jill and some random boy; he looked the one giving Jill all of that trouble. The boy was saying something and gesturing wildly before the figure of Jill grew visibly upset and ran off, the boy laughing all the while.

"Davy was picking on me again," Jill said, tearfully. "He kept saying that I was just looking for attention because of what happened to Jack and Mum. He said that I was an attention-hog and that Jack and Mum probably died because of me. And it's true! At least in Jack's case."

Pitch tensed. So this "Davy" was the reason his little Jill was so upset. Playing on her fears like that…. Normally Pitch would applaud the boy for such an act, but Jill was involved. The Boogeyman wasn't sure why, perhaps it was due to how much he cared for the eleven year old, but Jill's fear had begun to taste somehow sour to him. It was losing its original flavor and being replaced with a less than savoury tang.

"I don't understand children," Pitch said lowly. "You can be the best of friends and the worst of enemies depending on the day. If I remember correctly, you mentioned Davy used to idolize your brother. Why would he turn on you now?"

Jill ducked her head down, hiding her face behind her hair. She seemed almost embarrassed or ashamed. Pitch didn't like it.

"Sweetie, why are you hiding from me?" he asked her. "What is it? You can tell me anything, you know that."

Sandy reached over and squeezed the young girl's hand. Pitch had nearly forgotten the little golden man was still there. For some reason, it irked him that Jill could tell Sandy about whatever was bothering her, but hesitated to confide in him.

"Jill?"

"I told him about you."

Pitch froze. Jill had never told anyone about her "imaginary friend;" she knew that no one would believe it. The Boogeyman was a passing fancy, a childish fantasy long since forgotten by nearly all children.

"Why?"

"Because he kept making me mad, saying that my All Hallow's Eve costume was stupid. He said that only witches dressed the way I was, that maybe I was a witch in disguise and that was why Jack and Mama died. That I killed them because I was a nasty little brat who wanted to distract people from my witchcraft. So I snapped and I told him that I wasn't dressed like a witch. I was dressed like you, the fearsome Nightmare King with stallions of black sand who knew all of your deepest fears and hid in the darkest corners of your room in order to strike," she pounced on Pitch, who laughed slightly, "at just the right moment, as soon as you guard is at its weakest."

Pitch sighed as Jill finished her story. Internally, he was touched by Jill's idea for her costume. Truly none had ever thought to dress as him for such a frightful holiday, no matter how fitting it would have been. However, he was also concerned that Jill's display would cause more problems for her than just Davy tormenting her.

"Jill, thank you for such an honor; truly you didn't have to do something such a thing," Pitch started before brushing a piece of dark hair out of her face. "But you must be more careful; I don't want people to become suspicious of you; things are getting dangerous, especially for young girls dressed all in black." He hinted with a small smirk, ruffling her hair.

She squirmed away with a giggle before sobering and looking at Pitch with a serious expression.

"I just wanted them to believe in you again, Pitch." He froze again, eyes widening. "I mean, I know that you probably did some bad things before, but surely you deserve another chance. Sandy thinks there's still some good in you too, even if he won't admit it." She stuck her tongue out at the Dream Keeper, who responded just as childishly. "I wanted them to believe, Pitch. I thought maybe then you wouldn't be so sad."

He truly didn't deserve such a sweet girl as his friend. Truthfully, most would probably say he didn't deserve a friend at all, but Jill…. She was truly the kindest soul he'd ever met. He hugged her tightly, subtly sending off a cloud of nightmare dust in the direction of Davy's house. He wouldn't have a peaceful night's sleep for a while; by the end of the week, Davy would be begging Jill for forgiveness. Then it was up to her whether the boy would receive any sort of mercy from him.


End file.
